Lauren Birkins is currently serving as Vice President and Branch Leader at Fidelity Investments, a position she has held since 2021. In this role, she leads a team of wealth planners focused on providing a client-centered financial planning experience tailored to individual goals. Lauren emphasizes partnerships, trust, and adherence to the company's Standards of Care to support clients and associates. Her tenure at Fidelity Investments spans over a decade, including roles as Assistant Branch Leader from 2018 to 2021, Financial Consultant from 2012 to 2018, Investment Consultant from 2011 to 2012, Relationship Manager from 2010 to 2011, and Financial Representative from 2007 to 2009. Throughout her career, she has gained extensive experience in wealth management and client relationship development.

Patrick Trainor is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Prior to his current role, he worked at Citigroup Global Markets for one year. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that provides a range of advisory programs to individuals and institutions, including tailored financial planning services. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process supported by firm-approved tools and modeling techniques.

John Vert is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 4 years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2025, he worked at The Vanguard Group for four years and has experience in several non-financial roles, including at Barrel and Stone Interiors. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals and institutional clients with a wide range of advisory programs. The firm emphasizes tailored financial planning supported by structured processes and firm-approved tools.

Surendra Dave is a CFP® with 31 years of industry experience, currently serving at Edelman Financial Engines since 2026. His prior roles include positions at Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C., EF Legacy Securities, Edelman Financial Services, and Fidelity. Edelman Financial Engines delivers technology-enabled investment advisory and financial planning services to individual investors, retirement-plan participants, and institutional clients. The firm uses a committee-driven proprietary modeling process combined with planner delivery and online tools, offering diversified portfolios with disciplined rebalancing through both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory services.

Andrew Lee is a CFP® with 40 years of industry experience, currently with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016. He previously worked at A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. for 14 years. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved as a co-trustee and power of attorney for family trusts. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses research-driven investment strategies and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Joshua Millson Martula is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with seven years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at UBS Financial Services since 2019, with prior roles at Price Benowitz LLP, Talent Wave, Culpeper County, and Premier Venues LLC. He serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors for the McMillan Condos Association, where he participates in operational and financial decision-making. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through a mix of brokerage and investment advisory services, utilizing proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to create tailored financial plans. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and offers a broad range of capital markets and advisory products.

Joshua Brunner is a CFP® professional with 24 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently associated with LPL Financial and has prior experience with several firms including Safe Money Concepts LLC and Grove Point Advisors, LLC. He is also involved in Safe Money Concepts LLC as an insurance-related business. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment management solutions, utilizing both proprietary and third-party strategies across a broad platform.

Alvand Fakhari is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He works with affluent families and business owners to help them achieve their financial goals by providing services such as wealth planning, investment management, retirement planning, tax-efficient strategies, estate and legacy planning, and customized lending and banking solutions through Bank of America. Utilizing Merrill's resources, he offers tailored financial solutions to his clients. With nearly five years of industry experience, Alvand specializes in serving small business owners, medical professionals, and high-net-worth families. He focuses on various client areas including International Wealth Management, Legacy Planning, Managing New Wealth, Personal Retirement Planning, Portfolio Management Services, and Women and Wealth. Alvand holds a Bachelor's Degree from Towson University and the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He is multilingual, speaking Farsi, Spanish, and English. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys boating, camping, cooking, hiking, ice hockey, photography, skiing, spending time with his family, tennis, and traveling.

Patricia Van Kirk is a CFP® with 36 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has worked at Wells Fargo Advisors since 2025 and previously spent 13 years at UBS Financial Services. Outside of her advisory role, she holds a majority interest in a merchant partnership, VAN KIRK GP, LLC. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser that serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of financial planning services using proprietary research and tools, with a focus on tailored recommendations and a variety of specialized planning areas.

Brian Ewers serves as a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He began his career in the financial services industry in 1998 and joined Merrill Lynch in 2008. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certificant and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™), Brian specializes in goals-based wealth management and relationship management, focusing on areas such as liquidity management, personal retirement planning, tax minimization, and retirement income. Brian holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Marketing from Frostburg State University. He is a Maryland native and lives in Rockville, MD with his wife Michelle and their three sons. Through his work with The EGE Group, Brian supports clients by simplifying financial decisions and tailoring strategies that align with their unique needs, leveraging extensive industry experience and access to Bank of America Global Resources.

Robyn Crossan is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Germantown, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Thrivent Financial and XML Financial Group. Thrivent Investment Management offers Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, providing comprehensive written financial plans without implementation, and allowing clients to combine planning with managed-account programs under a consolidated WealthPlan billing option.

Nicole Harrison is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience currently affiliated with Cetera. She has held positions at Minnesota Life and Securian Financial Services Inc., and has been with Financial Advantage since 2009. Harrison serves as a volunteer board member for the Collaborative Project of Maryland. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement services through a multi-manager platform that includes affiliated and third-party managers.

Laura Stohlman is a CFP® professional with 42 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with LPL Financial. Her prior experience includes roles at Grove Point Investments, H. Beck, Federal Navigators, and SSN Advisory among others. She is also an author and volunteers with the National & MD State Society Daughters of the American Revolution. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms, utilizing both proprietary research and third-party strategies.

Paul Sexton is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, Sexton serves as a board member for the Connecticut Bel-Air Pool in Wheaton, MD. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions supported by a nationwide network of more than 23,700 financial advisors.

Thomas Walsh is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience. He is currently with LPL Enterprise LLC and previously worked at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Outside of his advisory work, Walsh serves on the advisory board of Potomac Community Resources and the board of the Old Farm Swim and Paddle Tennis Club, and he is also active as a voiceover artist and creator of promotional items. LPL Enterprise provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and corporate entities. The firm primarily employs a model-driven investment approach using portfolios developed by internal and third-party strategists, and offers financial planning, access to third-party asset managers, and insurance product sales through affiliated entities.

Andrew Leimenstoll is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 23 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 credential and previously worked at Eaton Vance Management and Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. for ten years. He serves on the board and investment committee of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maryland. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and various advisory programs, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets.

Noreen Miyake Char is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 65 credential and 20 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Maryland Financial Group, Inc. and American Asset Management Group, Inc. She is based in Rockville, MD. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, utilizing technology tools to support advisors while maintaining a broad scope of non-advisory financial services.

Adrian Calame is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Bethesda, MD, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2017, he worked at Engineering, Solutions and Products LLC (ESP) from 2015 to 2017. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of advisory services, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a large national network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Miguel Ghimire is Vice President and Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a position he has held since 2009. He has been with Fidelity since 2004, initially serving as an Income Planning Consultant and later as a Financial Consultant. Miguel brings over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, with the past 16 years focused on retirement, income, and wealth planning. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional, Miguel primarily works with high net worth clients, providing comprehensive wealth planning and guidance. He assists clients with financial planning and emphasizes developing and maintaining strong client relationships. Outside of his professional work, Miguel enjoys biking, attending concerts, hiking, listening to music, and traveling.

Isaac Fried is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at UBS Financial Services and Wells Fargo Advisors. He also has experience at Sandy Spring Builders and studied at the University of Maryland, College Park. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide variety of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning supported by structured discovery processes and firm-approved planning tools.